


Local Superstition

by orphan_account



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Other, a lot of extreme possessiveness and creepiness of that sort, also the romantic advances arent 100 percent wholesome, but they do wear dresses and stuff, even tho its teeechnically not even done lol, i barely finished this in time for mermay whoops, i suggest not reading it (sorry), im horrible, mermaid au, so if that bothers you, so if thats not your thing or itd rub you the wrong way, theres no pronouns or anything used for the reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 15:24:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11038956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: On vacation, you have a chance encounter with an attractive stranger who captivates you with ease. It doesn't take long for you to be a fool in love. Things like this can never last though, and when your trip ends, it seems so must your unbelievable summer romance.Please read the tags and notes!!





	Local Superstition

**Author's Note:**

> so, this was supposed to be a sort of mermay kinda thing, tho its not like... a normal mermaid kinda thing, like, it doesnt even use normal mermaids.
> 
> also, theres a looooot of unneeded useless use of spanish in this lol. im a basic, monolingual slut and i live for that kinda shit lol. tho, probably given away by the fact i said monolingual, i dont know spanish. i used a few different translators (and lists of pet names lol) to get as close as possible, but yeah. i didnt have anyone to check later. at the end of the fic in the notes will be all the translations. if you know spanish, let me know if anythings wrong and ill fix it! (also if youre so kind maybe you can help me out in the future ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) )

You met him in a little dress shop roughly five blocks down from the beach. When you’d passed the quaint store on the way to your hotel, you’d promised yourself you’d stop by. There was one sundress in particular, displayed in the window the day you came into town, that had caught your eye. You were so disappointed to come back only for it to already be sold, but you decided to look around anyway. It was a locally owned store, so it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to nab one of the adorable outfits. As you sifted through the racks, trying to find a cute dress to wear to the beach, you spotted him out of the corner of your eye. At first he startled you, wearing all black. In your peripheral vision you mistook him for some sort of shadow creature! Looking over to him revealed something much more terrifying. A very, _very_ attractive man.

He was tall and built, with rich dark skin and undercut black hair that curled in every which direction. His features were sharp, complimented by his scruffy black goatee. You couldn’t decide where to keep your eyes, his thick, soft looking lips or his dark, captivating eyes. Then your better judgement kicked in and told you not to keep your eyes anywhere _because that’s_ _staring you idiot._ You force your gaze back to the dresses. He was in a dress shop anyway, probably buying something for a girlfriend… a very lucky girlfriend…  
  
More time passed and you just couldn’t decide what to get. They were all so amazing, but you had so much time left for your vacation, and you couldn’t blow all your money on dresses right away. Eventually you feel a tap on your shoulder and you looked to the source. Your heart leapt into your throat and you forgot how to breathe. The man you’d been gawking at earlier was standing next to you, silently asking for your attention.

“Disculpe, me puede ayudar a encontrar algo?” he asked. Your knees nearly gave out in shock at the sound of his voice. It washed over and surrounded you like a warm ocean current. You didn’t know Spanish, however, so you just blinked at him dumbly. You expression gave away your confusion and he caught on quickly. “Ah! I’m sorry. Do you know if they have sewing supplies here?” Even after knowing what he was asking, you still didn’t respond. He was so close to you... This close, you couldn’t ignore the smell of salt water wafting off of him. You were distracted, and he elaborated to fill the silence. “I’ve been looking around for a bit but I can’t seem to find anything…”  
  
You snapped out of your daze and look up at him shyly. “Oh! Um, sorry, I don’t know. I’ve never shopped here before; I’m not from around here…”

He smiled at you and quirked his head to the side in a curious gesture. “Is that so? I live nearby, but I don’t visit that often if I’m being honest.” He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair as his eyes ran over your form quickly. It wasn’t subtle, but he didn’t make a spectacle out of his observation either. “I really should though. There’s so many beautiful sights around here,” he said in a playful tone.

You smile and twiddle with your hair. _You had no idea how to flirt!_ “Yeah! I agree! That’s why I chose to vacation here.”  
  
“On vacation, eh? How long will you be in town?”  
  
“A month.”

His face contorted into a subtle frown. “Damn… That’s a shame” His smile returned as he forced himself out of his dejected tone. “I was hoping that someone as cute as you had moved in to stay. If you haven’t noticed, there’s not a lot of people in this tiny town. It’s mostly old folks and some married couples with their small kids.” His stare burned into you from his lidded eyes as he smirked. “It’s a shame I can’t keep you here with me.”

Baffled, you opened and closed your mouth awkwardly, looking for something to say in return. _Oh my God, he was so charming; you couldn’t compete with that! You’re gonna blow this!_ You stuttered out fillers like “uh…” and “um…” but got nowhere fast. “Well, we can at least hang out while I’m here…”  
  
His smirk grew. “That’d be wonderful.” He spent a moment looking you over more thoroughly. “Oh, and how rude of me. I don’t even know your name!”  
  
How rude of him? How rude of you! You cursed under your breath before you told him your name.  
  
He repeated it to himself, as if to test it on his tongue. He let the sound sink in for a split second before speaking again. “That’s a cute name… I’m Gabriel.”

After you exchanged names, you spent some more time in the shop together chatting about the town, and the beach, and the summer weather. He helped you pick out a dress, or rather, immediately picked one for you that you fell in love with. He remembered seeing it in an aisle while searching for sewing supplies (that the two of you quickly found out they do not carry), and said that it would probably look wonderful on you. It was such luck it came in your size, because it looked absolutely fantastic. It hugged your form snuggly, and accentuated every curve. The color was even perfect, it brought out your skin and your eyes so well.

When you finally left the shop, he walked with you down to the beach, to the docks and past, to a little patch of the shore with no one else there. “This part of the beach is always empty,” he informed you.  
  
You marveled at the beauty of the secluded spot. The sand was soft and white, clear of any litter or debris. You were glad to have taken off your flip flops as you had walked. The way the sand nestled between your toes was heavenly. The water was a light teal right at the sand that faded out into a beautiful blue as the water got deeper further from the shore. Looking over the horizon, the sea went on and on forever. It was gorgeous and terrifying at the same time. You could have gotten lost just in the sight. It was far enough from town that none of the smells of the business or homes could overcome the smell of salt and clean air blowing in the wind. Your mouth hung open as you took it all in. “I don’t understand. This place is gorgeous, who wouldn’t want to come here.”  
  
Gabriel stared at your awestruck face from where you couldn’t see, though you’d likely not tear your eyes away from the view regardless. He found his voice despite his swelling heart. “Local superstition. Apparently some _sea creature_ or whatever nonsense likes to hang around here.”  
  
You beamed at him in excitement. “That just makes it even cooler!”

He laughed and explained that there were legends of some sort of sirens or mermaids in the waters. “The stories use them as an explanation for the things people lose near the water. The jewelry people take off to swim, cargo gone overboard never to be found again, all sorts of things.”  
  
“So they have hoards or something?.. Like water dragons!” you exclaimed with childlike enthusiasm.

That got another rise out of him. “I guess you could put it that way!” You asked him questions about the sea creatures, but he shrugged them away claiming to know nothing else. Instead, the two of you began cycling between various other topics.

You spent the entire evening sitting on the sand, talking the night away. You talked about your job, your home, your friends, your interests, anything and everything about your life. Gabriel, however, dodged every question about his life with practiced ease. At first you were a little upset, you wanted to learn about him too, but eventually you couldn’t care less. Instead, he filled the conversation with talks about his favorite books and folktales; he knew so many other local legends! He talked about his hobbies, his favorite spots of the shore and times of day. He would even teach you a few terms in Spanish when you asked about the little bits he sprinkled into his speech, and laugh at your poor pronunciation, though more to admire than to mock.

When the night fell you ignored it, told him that you could stay a bit longer. Eventually, though, the breeze began to chill you in your tank top and shorts. You shivered lightly in the wind and Gabe winced at you. “It’s getting late, mi vida. You need to get back to your room…” He stood up before you could protest, and held out his hand to you. “Let me take you back.” You took his hand gladly.  
  
He walked you home, and you were sure to walk slow and take every reason you could to stop along the way. By the time you were at your room, it was past midnight, but you couldn’t find it in you to care. You had easily just had the best night of your life. It was painfully saying goodbye to him, due to the fear that you might not meet again. You tried your best to hang around in the doorway for as long as you could, but eventually Gabe shooed you away to bed, promising to see you more over the course of your vacation. You had to take his word.

When you woke up far too early the next day, the previous night’s adventure had felt like a dream, like some fantasy in passing. You wistfully prepared for the day, sighing and remembering every perfect detail. Walking the town with such a good attitude attracted the other friendly locals to chat. One woman, after greeting you, even sat with you outside of a local cafe to have a longer conversation.

Somewhere in all the small talk, you happened to bring up the legends Gabriel had told you the night before. She confirmed his story, but you asked her what else she had to say about the interesting tale. “They’re mermaids of a sort, you could say… But not like the kind from a Disney movie or anything. They don’t have long tails with colorful fins, and they aren’t beautiful like them. They’re like shadows in the waves, with dark scales and eyes. I’d compare them to a demon before The Little Mermaid. They’re obsessive, dangerous, and possessive.” You explained to her what Gabe had told you about their kleptomaniac tendencies as she took a slow drink out of her styrofoam cup. She nodded and elaborated. “Yeah! My grandpa claims one stole his wedding ring, but my Grandma insists he just lost it.” You shared a laugh over that. “Though, a lot of people say they hoard more than just objects. A lot of my family tells cautionary tales of them kidnapping men and women they fall in love with. Keep _them_ as a treasure of sorts. Though I think that was just something to keep teenagers from sneaking out to the beach late at night.”

The two of you talked a bit more before the woman said her goodbyes, telling you what a pleasure the chat had been, and left. Just about that time, you spotted Gabriel walking past the cafe’s porch where you’d been sitting. A little too eagerly, you waved and called his name. He looked towards your voice and perked up when he saw you face. He smiled and walked over to your table.

“Well, if this isn’t a pleasant surprise. Glad I came back into town today…” he flirted unabashedly. You blushed a bit at his words. He was leaning on a chair across the table, his shadow being cast over you. He found the way you looked up at him through your eyelashes precious. “Mind if I join you?” You of course nodded as casually as possible, which wasn’t very casual. He sat down. “I was actually on my way to your hotel to see if you were still there…” You asked him why and he smiled wide at you. “I said we’d spend more time together, didn’t I? I would never lie to you.” You had to contain yourself at his suave words.  
  
You spent that day together, and the next, and the next. Soon you found the month flying away in a dream state of playful flirting and falling for this man you knew nothing about. You didn’t need to know anything, though. You couldn’t care less about his past, who he was outside of the ocean breeze of this small town. All you cared about was the man you were spending every waking hour with. The man with the quick wit and the adoring gaze, who loved sewing and baking and horror stories. The man whose laugh filled you with a light, warm feeling, and whose gaze burned you up from the inside. When you caught each other’s eyes, and stared into his dark irises, that seemed so deep that you could fall into them, you cared about nothing else in the world. He felt the same way about you, far more than you knew.

It was your last night there. You had woke up early that morning, preparing for Gabriel to come knocking at your door like he had almost every day for the past month. You put on the sundress he picked for you, and looked sadly at yourself in the mirror. It really did look wonderful on you… He loved when you wore it.

In the final days leading up to that point, you’d avoided the topic of your departure adamantly. You insisted all that mattered was the present, the time you were spending together. You walked to the same spot on the beach rather quietly, not sure what to say. As you sat there, so close to him that you could feel his body heat radiating from him, you bit your lip and looked away. You were sitting together silently bathed in the orange glow of the coastal sunset, and the moment would have been perfect if it weren’t for the lingering gloom of the inevitable. You kept trying to force yourself to say something, to say anything, to _tell him what you’ve been feeling._ Maybe if you played your cards right, this, whatever was blooming between you, didn’t have to end with your vacation… You could see him again… You took in breath and prepared to let it out as an admission, but he spoke first.

“I don’t want you to leave… _No puedo dejarte salir,_ ” he murmured out quietly, almost at a whisper, but it felt thunderous against the silence surrounding you.  
  
“I don’t want to leave you, if I’m being honest…” You looked to him, and he was staring at you with wide eyes. He seemed amazed to hear you admit to feeling the same. You chuckled at his surprise. How could you not? Did he not realize how amazing he truly was? You sheepishly brushed your fingertips along his, too afraid to initiate anything more. “Do you have a cell phone? What am I saying- of course you do. We can keep in touch…”

He clutched your hand in his firmly and turned fully to you. He brought his hand up to your face and turned your face to look him in the eye, and keeps his hand resting on your cheek. “You don’t understand!” His gaze was intense, and there was something underneath it that made your heart race. His tone was pleading as well as demanding in a conflicting sense of urgency. “It’s not that easy!...” He leaned in closer and his tone softened. “You can just stay…”  
  
Your face contorted in dejection and you leaned away from his hand, distraught by his refusal to carry this on outside your vacation. “You know I can’t do that…” You looked away, avoiding his eyes at any cost. It already hurt enough, and you would have been happy to never see him again. To never see what you can’t have again. “I… I wish this could last forever but… I understand…” You forced yourself to look at him again. Your heart broke seeing his face. He wore an unreadable expression, though you could almost swear he looked confused... “I had a wonderful time... here with you.”

His grip on your hand tightened, almost to the point of discomfort. He pulled your face even closer to his, until you could feel his breath puff across your face. “No! You don’t understand! _I can’t let you leave.”_ It almost sounded like he was panicking a bit, and you weakly tried to recoil away from his ferocity. He slowly leaned even further towards you, until you have no choice but to lean back to accommodate him. “I’ve never met anybody like you!” His voice suddenly lost its fury and softened. “Eres tan hermosa...” You started to go back onto your elbows. “The moment I saw you enter town _I had to find you. I had to meet you._ I was so lucky that you stopped by that shop so soon, somewhere with an excuse to bump into each other…” As you fell onto your back he crawled over you to be face to face. “And when I managed to find you and talk to you, _it was better than I could have imagined. Tan dulce, tan maravilloso..._ ” He was still leaning closer, he was mere inches from you. He had a hand on your face, stroking your cheek gently, lovingly with his thumb. “Getting to know you was the best time of my entire life. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. _Mi sueño._ ” He looked into your eyes so deeply and you felt so vulnerable to him. “I can’t lose you; I can’t let you leave. _Te amo demasiado_.”

He leaned down and closed the distance between the two of you. He kissed you softly and with purpose. You laid against the sand in shock, too surprised for your brain to function. The rational part of your mind ran rampant in shock. You moved your hands to his chest, ready to push him off of you, but before you could even start he bit down on your bottom lip. His teeth were _sharp, freakishly sharp,_ and it took very little pressure to draw out a few small beads of blood. You gasped and he swiped his tongue across your lip and into your mouth. His tongue felt strange, like it was too long, and he tasted so unexplainably sweet, like honey. For just moment your mind was able to remain rational enough to question, to want to resist, but only a moment. It wasn’t long before you felt an all too quickly formed addiction to the flavor.  
  
His kiss was slow and passionate. He explored every inch of your mouth, committed your taste to memory. You were losing your breath, but he wasn’t tiring of you. You made small noises of protest as you began to feel light headed, and he pulled away with a careful peck. You were gasping for breath as he gazed down at you with reverence in his eyes. “Eres tan perfecta… so amazing…” he murmured, barely audible. He began placing feather light kisses along your jaw and neck as he continued his hushed praises. His hands were running gently along your body. Up and down your arms, over your sides, your hips, your stomach. He was mapping out every curve of your body, he wanted to know every little detail.

Somewhere in your mind, you were still pleading with yourself to do something. You should’ve been doing something… Right? The things he’d been saying were setting off alarms, normal people don’t say those kind of things… But you found yourself eating them up regardless, like some sort of naive fool, and you knew the danger in it… but still... Maybe you _should’ve_ done something _,_ but you didn’t want to. It felt so good… You felt warm, like you were floating. His smell was encompassing and comforting, he tasted so sweet and intoxicating, the way his calloused fingers touched you so gently felt welcoming and _right._ You knew in a far corner of your brain that you were crazy for being okay with his abrasive advances, but your head was clouded by him, his presence, his essence. You felt drunk on him. As his fingers brushed over your ribs you let out a small sigh of pleasure.

He pulled back from his attentions to your neck, and moved his hands to prop himself up over you. You were disappointed at the loss of his touch and let out a puny whine. He smiled so fondly at you. “Querido, usted es un tesoro absoluto,” he marveled. “Voy a mantenerlo todo a mí mismo. Usted pertenece a mí y sólo yo.” He leaned next to your ear and growled, “Y no comparto.” The way his voice rumbled through to your core shook you.

He pushed himself away even more, kneeling above you, and you found yourself terrified he’d leave you. You felt so cold with him away from you. With him further now, though, you could see his face better. He looked ethereal, bathed in the soft glow over the horizon. It was like you were looking at an other worldly spirit. He held out his hand to you, in a sort of silent offer. Of what you weren’t completely certain. Still, you took his hand slowly without even having to think, and when you’re fingers finally touched his palm he grinned. That’s when you saw it. _His teeth._ They’d changed. They were no longer the ones from the smiles he’d flashed at you before. Instead they were thin and _sharp,_ like something you’d see on a wild animal. You jolted at the sight and he frowned. He pulled you to kneel and into an embrace to soothed you. “Sssh, mi alma, don’t be afraid.” He showered you in kisses as he hummed comforts to you.  
  
Questions raced in your mind. His teeth, his tongue, his taste… “What’s going on?” you mumbled hazily, still in a daze.

His attitude changed, like he was suddenly a little unsure. He looked you in the eye and gave you a mournful smile. His eyes started to darken before you, in a very literal sense. Soon his irises were swallowed by a blackness that blanketed over his entire eye. “Oh, mi amada,” he whispered as he leaned into you once more. His lips brushed barely up against yours as he said, “I’m not what you imagined.” He pressed forward into a light kiss. The kiss was held out over a few moments, but you had no intention of ending it. He pulled away reluctantly and frowned at you. “I’m a monster.”  
  
You gasped just barely as you registered the man before you. In the short time that he’d kissed you, his appearance had somehow shifted even further. He was even less human. Long, elegant fins protruded from the ends of his jaw over where his ears had been, extending out in a sweeping shape. There were some old tears and holes at the edges of the thin, vaguely red tinted skin, indicating past injuries. Patches of jet black scales faded into intensity at the places fins could be found such as the edges of his face and jaw, going over just a bit of his neck and the small fins that could be found there, as well as his forearms, elbows, and calves. The now awkward fit of his shorts also indicated that there were also sets on his thighs and hips. You took a step back as you looked him over. He was gorgeous, heavenly in the way he was so beyond human beauty with his new features. Your actions read to him as fear however, and he winced. You could see his hesitation, so you reached forward and gently cupped his face in your hand as you looked him in the eye. “You’re amazing…”

“That woman told you. You heard how they fear creatures like me…” He looked away from your eyes, keeping his gaze anywhere but at you. “ _Like shadows in the waves…”_ he repeated sadly. _“Demons…”_  
  
The words fell out of your mouth quietly without a thought, like an awed whisper. “You’re more like an angel to me.” You were aware of the dangers of what you were engaging. What he’d said, what that woman had said… He might end up keeping you, whatever that entailed, but you didn’t. It was stupid, yes, but you didn’t care. You were a fool who’d fallen fast and truly for him.

As he looked and saw the practical _worship_ in your eyes his fear vanished. The look in your eyes sang more praise than any words could. All the ostracisation from the humans before, all the horror stories and the terror felt so insignificant when he saw how you drank him in. He grabbed your waist and pulled you closer to him again.  
  
He kissed you like before, darting his elongated tongue into your mouth. With his hands around your waist he held you in place as he lavished you with affection yet again. It felt amazing, you couldn’t even imagine anything better. You wanted him to hold you like that forever. Your hands that you’d been holding hesitantly up to his chest slowly worked their way up and over his shoulders, feeling his muscles through his shirt. You snaked your arms around the back of his neck and leaned up into the kiss, attempting to reciprocate carefully.

As you did so, a wave of unadulterated joy crashed over him. Feeling you return his desire began washing away the slivers of restraint he’d been clinging to. He pulled you to him even closer, pressing you against him tightly. One hand moved to your hair to rake his fingers through it as he became more aggressive. A small moan bubbled out of your throat and that was what broke his discipline completely.

He pushed you back into the sand quickly, but maintained enough gentleness not to hurt you. He covered your body with his, pinning you to the ground. As crazy as you were for thinking it, you couldn’t help but feel safe. The way his solid form held you and shielded you from all else but him, making him your singularity, made your heart flutter in infatuation. He was taking over your every sense. You could smell him with every breath you took, you could taste him lingering on your tongue, you could feel him as he held you so close, you could hear his quietly maintained pants for air. You clung to his back for dear life as he claimed your mouth, only occasionally stopping for short seconds to allow you to breathe.

As you started to fear losing consciousness due to lack of breath, he pulled away only to begin assaulting your jaw and neck with kisses and nips. He worked his way over your skin with his mouth, giving attention and love to every inch. When he got to your jugular and paused just above, your breath hitched, remembering the sight of his sharp teeth. He could have bled you dry right then and there, but rather, he ran his lips lightly over your pulse, feeling the rush of your heartbeat. You could feel his loving smile against your neck. “No sé como usted podría amar alguna vez algo como mí.,” he breathed out, and you felt each syllable puff across your sensitive skin, the way his thick lips brushed against you as they formed the words. “Usted debe estar loco…” He nuzzled into the crook of your neck as he sighed. “Pero estoy tan contento que estás.”

**Author's Note:**

> SO! if that ending seemed abrupt, thats cause it is lol. its supposed to be longer. this waaas gonna be my first go at writing smut but i kept chickening out xmx im gonna leave it open tho and hopefully get back to it! (if yalls like it, that is)  
> ((EDIT: im prolly not comin back to it lol. i waited too long, whoops))
> 
> tbh im really nervous about this one, i keep going back and forth between loving and hating it xox so please tell me what you think! thanks for reading it either way tho!
> 
> TRANSLATIONS:
> 
> Disculpe, me puede ayudar a encontrar algo? - Excuse me, can you help me find something?
> 
> Mi vida - My life (term of endearment)
> 
> No puedo dejarte salir. - I can’t let you leave.
> 
> Eres tan hermosa… - You are so beautiful…
> 
> Tan dulce, tan maravilloso… - So sweet, so wonderful…
> 
> Mi sueño - My dream
> 
> Te amo demasiado. - I love you too much.
> 
> Eres tan perfecta… - You’re so perfect…
> 
> Querido, usted es un tesoro absoluto. - Dear, you’re an absolute treasure.
> 
> Voy a mantenerlo todo a mí mismo. Usted pertenece a mí y sólo yo. - I'm going to keep it all to myself. You belong to me and only me.
> 
> Y no comparto. - And I do not share.
> 
> Mi alma - My soul (term of endearment)
> 
> Mi amada- My beloved
> 
> No sé como usted podría amar alguna vez algo como mí. - I don't know how you could ever love something like me.
> 
> Usted debe estar loco. - You must be mad.
> 
> Pero estoy tan contento que estás. - But I’m so happy that you are.


End file.
